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With the introduction of the Xbox, Bill Gates has taken a step closer to getting a Microsoft-based machine into every home.
There's no doubt that this particular launch is a brave move. The video game console market has been dominated by the Japanese for many years, and established brands like Nintendo and Sony have loyal followings. But Microsoft has enough marketing muscle to take on almost any company, as it has proved in the past.
People have already accused the Xbox of being a stripped-down PC, and the base specification does little to prove this opinion wrong.
Boxed in
The main processor is an Intel 733MHz. This may not be fast by traditional PC standards, but it's the fastest in a console by a long way.
Add to this a graphics chipset from nVidia, an 8Gb hard disk and a 10/100 Ethernet adaptor, and the PC in a box argument gains strength.
But chances are those who write the Xbox off in this way have never actually used one, because if they had, they'd realise that it could be the next-generation console they've been waiting for.
There's no denying that it was a smart move going to nVidia for the graphics solution. Anyone who's into video games has heard of the company, and nVidia has moved 3D graphics forward an incredible distance in the past few years. Inside the Xbox is a derivative of the successful GeForce3 chip, but this version has a big advantage over the ones used by PCs.
No driver
In a PC the system has to communicate with the graphics chip via driver software, which slows things down and can cause an endless amount of problems, as new drivers may have to be loaded to play the latest games.
The Xbox doesn't use a driver model, which eliminates the need to update graphics drivers and means the system can communicate faster with the graphics engine.
With a core clock speed of 233MHz, the graphics chip is no slouch but, strangely, there's no dedicated video memory. Instead, the graphics chip shares the 64Mb of system memory.
Great graphics
Although unified memory architecture always results in slow performance when used in a PC, the Xbox shows no signs of performance overheads. The graphics capabilities of the Xbox are, quite simply, staggering, with all the effects that we've seen in demos on the PC actually being utilised in games.
The water effects are incredible, with realistic reflections and refraction, while spectral fogging and lighting add the kind of atmosphere gamers have been longing for.
The quoted maximum resolution for Xbox's graphics is 1920x1080, but this is way above the capabilities of a standard TV - 640x480 is more like it. That said, the Xbox will output a High Definition TV (HDTV) signal, but unfortunately Europe has not adopted the HDTV standard.
Although Microsoft does not support VGA output, there are already third-party accessories available to pump the video to a computer monitor for crystal-clear gaming.
Dolby Digital
Complementing the graphics are superb sound effects. Sound is produced by another nVidia chip, called the Media Communications Processor, which also provides Ethernet network capability for potential multiplayer malarkey and more. This is a similar setup to that seen on some recent PC motherboards.
The chip can generate up to 256 channels of sound, or 64 in a 3D environment, but the real jewel in the crown is the ability to do real-time Dolby Digital effects.
The Xbox is the first games console that can create a 5.1 channel Dolby Digital sound stage in real-time and the result is truly amazing, providing you have the required amplifier and speakers.
Real-time Dolby Digital effects take video games to a new level. Playing a first-person-shooter game like Halo is a joy, with all the sounds accurately placed, letting you know exactly where everyone or everything is coming from.
Unfortunately though, you can't enjoy the joys of Dolby Digital sound straight out of the box since, unlike the PlayStation 2, the Xbox doesn't have a digital sound output on the system itself. To hook your Xbox up to your Dolby Digital amp, you'll have to fork out for the advanced AV cable.
DVD remote control
Another hidden cost to be aware of is that the Xbox can't play DVD movies straight out of the box either. Unlike the PS2, which uses the gamepad to control DVD playback functions, the Xbox requires an optional remote control. Again this is a little annoying, since Microsoft is forcing you to pay extra for something that the machine should be able to do without.
However, if you do cough up the extra cash, you'll find that the Xbox makes a pretty good DVD player, better than the PS2 and better than some dedicated DVD players. As well as being able to output via high-quality component video, the Xbox can also produce a progressive scan signal for a top-quality non-interlaced picture. In short, it gives a cracking picture.
Hitting the big time
Like the machine itself, the Xbox controller is quite simply huge. Unless you've got pretty big hands, you could find it uncomfortable to use for extended periods. This is obviously something that Microsoft has realised, since a completely redesigned, smaller controller is shipping with the Japanese Xbox. Unfortunately, the UK is going to have to suffer the larger American model.
The controller sports two excellent analog joysticks, a digital direction pad, eight buttons and two analog triggers. There are also two slots for peripherals such as memory cards.
See how they run
Another issue for UK buyers, particularly hardcore gamers, is the speed of the games. Our test system was a US model, which outputs an NTSC video signal running at full-speed 60Hz. UK TVs and consoles traditionally run at 50Hz, which slows down the action and can result in 'squished' images.
The good news is that the UK model should allow you to select the 60Hz mode from its 'Dashboard' setup screen, and game developers plan to support this feature. That said, it's also worth pointing out that for the casual gamer who just accepts things as is, the whole thing is a bit of a non-issue.
Microsoft's inclusion of a hard disk was criticised by many, but in use it has a lot of advantages. First, you don't need an additional memory card to save your games and, with 8Gb of storage, you probably never will.
Second, the hard disk can be used to cache data so that you don't have to wait for levels to be loaded from the DVD drive. And third, you can transfer or 'rip' music from your CDs to the hard disk.
It's a rip
Music ripping may seem a strange feature for a console, but a lot of Xbox software has been designed with this in mind. Project Gotham Racing, for example, allows you to play your own music while driving, which adds masses of appeal to the game. Unfortunately, you won't be able to rip music from any compilation that you've burned to CD-R. The Xbox flatly refuses to read CD-R or CD-RW media.
Microsoft has also made sure that it doesn't make the mistake Sony made with the PS2 by releasing a new machine without decent software to support it. The launch line-up for the Xbox is strong and it's worth buying the machine just to play Halo.
The Xbox may not be cheap, but it definitely represents the next step in video games.
Contact
Microsoft: 0845 700 2000 www.xbox.com/uk
See also:
As Microsoft steams into the gaming world, we wonder if the Xbox has what it takes to toast Sony's PlayStation 2. Not quite, but it's going to be a good fight. 11 Jan 2002All Gadgets
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